Mariners acquire INF/OF Samad Taylor from Royals

Seattle acquires another speedster to bolster their depth.

It’s no Jorge Polanco blockbuster, but this morning, the Mariners struck a deal with the Royals on the heels of Kansas City making the Adam Frazier signing official.

Taylor, 25, was traded from Toronto to KC in the Whit Merrifield deal back in 2022, and got his first call to the Majors last year. He quickly made his mark, drawing a pair of walks and notching his first hit in walk-off fashion against the Angels in his debut on June 17th.

Taylor’s calling card is his speed - he was a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen bases with the Royals and swiped 43 bags in Triple-A Omaha last year. He’s also shown plenty of flexibility, getting starts in left field and second base with the Royals and playing all around the diamond in the minors. While his game power has been middling at best, he’s shown strong plate discipline all through the minor leagues, putting up a walk rate just a hair under 16% in Triple-A. He mostly scuffled in his first 69 big league plate appearances, but still managed a double-digit walk rate in his first exposure. Not too bad, even with an increase in strikeouts!

For the low, low cost of cash considerations or a player to be named later, Taylor represents solid depth, still having a pair of minor league options remaining. Dylan Moore and Sam Haggerty remain ahead of him, but should either go down, Taylor and his blistering speed should be able to fill in the gaps. With this move, Seattle’s 40-man roster is once again full.